Apparatus for pasteurizing beer.



No. 654,369. Pat ented July 24, I900.

E. WAGNER. APPARATUS FOR PASTEURIZING BEER.

(Application med June 30, 1999.)

(No Model.)

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD WAGNER, 0E sT. LOUIS, MissoUnI, ASSIGNOR TO THE MODEL nor'rmneMACHINERY oo'MPAnY, OF SAME PLACE.

APPARATUS FLOR. PASTEURI'ZING BEER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 654,369, dated. July24, 19cc. Application filed une 30,1899. Serial r... 722,439. (NomodeL)To all whom it may concerns V Be it known that I, EDWARD WAGNER, acitizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, in theState of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inApparatus for Pasteurizing Beer, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in theart to whichit appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improved apparatus for pasteurizing beer,the'object being to provide a simple, cheap, and convenient apparatusfor treating the bottled beer to destroy the yeast molecules and germscontained therein, whereby further fermentation is prevented.

The invention consists in the improved apparatus hereinafter fullydescribed, particularly pointed out in the claims, and clearlyillustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is avertical longitudinal sectional view of my improved apparatus. Fig. 2 isa top plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view of thechain on which the bottle-carriers are mounted. Fig. 4. is a similarview illustrating a slightly-different manner of mounting thebottle-carriers on the chain. Fig. 5 is a detail View of the bottlesupport. Fig. 6 is a detail view of a modified form of bottle-support.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings,ct indicates a tankmade, preferably, of sheet metal and divided by partition-walls b and 0into compartments (1, e, and fiadapted to contain a pasteurizing fluid,thecompart-v ments being provided with suitable supply and overflowpipes. (Not shown.) Said tank is supported by vertical standards g,between which are arranged cross-pieces h, preferably T-shaped incross-section. 'The standards extend some distance above the tank andare connected at their upper ends by' horizontally-arranged L-shapedrails 2", while crosspieces j also connect the upper ends of thestandards. Rails 1 carry suitable journalboxes, in which are mountedshafts having sprocket-wheels l6 and Z, the former beinglocated at thefront end of the machine and the latter at the rear end thereof. Thesesprockets 7c and l are preferably arranged in pairs and are fixed totheir respective shafts. m indicates L-shaped rails or elongatedbrackets, which are secured to the inner faces of the side walls of theseveral compartments of the tanks near the upper edges thereof, whileabove the ends of said rails are mounted pairs of idle sprockets n onsuitable shafts extending across the top of the tank. 0 indicates idlesprockets of somewhat larger diameter than the sprockets n or of suchdiameter that the bottles carried by the supports will'clear the shaftsof said sprockets. The tank is provided with suitable pockets or offsetsp in its side walls for receiving the idlers o for the purpose ofenabling said sprockets to run free and not to be partially submerged inthe contents of the tank. These sprockets o are in juxtaposition to thepartition-walls Z) andc and also arranged between the ends of theseveral rails m in the tank.

q indicates parallel endless chains, which runover sprockets 70, Z, ando and under the sprockets 'n, which last-mentioned sprockets force thechains down onto the rails m, while the sprockets 0, between said rails,cause the chains to rise over the partitions in the tank.

Chains q preferably consist of the links o through whose eyes passrods8, said rods being common to both chains. The usual spacing-blocks t arearranged between the links of 'the chain for well-understood purposes.Rods s carry bottle-supports, preferably such as shown in Figs. 5 and 6,inwhich former the support (marked to) consists of a rod or wire so bentas to form eyes at its extremity,which encircle therods 8, while themiddle portion of the rod or wire is looped and then bent to form therearwardly-opening pocket for receiving the neck of the bottle, theIflange forming the mouth of t the bottle resting on the rod or wire andsupporting the bottle, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5.

In Fig. 6 the bottle-support consists of a wire '22, formed with eyes orbent portions, by which the same may be attached to the rods 8, theextremities of said rod or wire crossing each other and forming ayielding support, having a contracted mouth through which the neck ofthe bottle is forced and tightly held in position, the bottle beingsupported by the flange forming the mouth, as shown by dotted lines.

In using the construction shown in Fig. 5 the pocket preferably openstoward the rear end of the machine, so that the resistance encounteredby the bottles passing through the pasteurizing fluid of thecompartments tends to firmlyseat the bottle in this support.

The support shown in Fig. 6 in grasping the neck of the bottle may openeither toward the front or rear end of the machine, as is obvious, butpreferably toward the rear end, and this construction has the advantageof being capable of employment in connection with empty bottles when itis desired to wash them in the tank, the yielding mouth preventing theempties from floating and escaping from their supports.

As shown in Fig. 3, the eyes of the supports which encircle the rods 8abut against each other, and thus space the supports the proper distanceapart, or, as shown in Fig. 4, washers w may be strung on the rods 8,between the supports, to act as spacers therefor. Sleeves a: are alsopreferably employed on the rods 8 to act as distance-pieces between thechains; but these sleeves can be dispensed with, in which event thebottle -supports proper will act as distance-pieces. Any suitablegearing or power-transmitting device may be employed for driving eitherof the sprockets 7a or Z; but I prefer to drive the rear sprocket, asthe weight in the construction shown in Fig. 1 is on the lower side ofthe chain and will then be pulled through the tank.

An attendant stands at the front end of the machine and introduces thebottles in their supports, which bottles are then carried-onward. by thechains and submerged in the pasteurizing fluid of compartment d. Thesprockets are partially relieved of the weight of the bottles by therails m, the sprockets n at the ends of said rails holding the chains inthe proper position thereon. As the bottles approach the rear end of thefirst compart= ment the chain is elevated by the first pair ofsprockets-o and the bottles clear the partition I), after which theysink into the pasteurizing fluid of the second compartment e,where-' inthe chains are likewise supported by rails m, the idle sprockets n atthe ends holding said chains in their proper position. As the chains areelevated by the second pair of sprockets o in order that the bottles mayclear the partition 0 said bottles receive the spray from a pipe y. Thechains in this compartment are supported on said rails m, being heldthereon by idle sprockets n, as already described, after which thechains rise upwardly to the driving-sprockets l, and in rising thebottles receive the spray from a second pipe y; An attendant at the rearend of the machine receives the bottles as they emerge from the lasttank and removes them from their supports.

By arranging the endless conveyer whereby it passes downwardly at aninclination into the tank at the forward end thereof and up wardly at aninclination from the rear end and in returning travels above thesameevery bottle on the conveyer is at all times accessible to theoperators hand and inconvenience in loading and unloading is obviated,because the operator can stand close under the ap proaching or recedingline of bottles and with ease place or remove the same. It is alsoobviouslyea'sier to install a plant of this character,where the conveyerpasses on supports over instead of under the machine.

In order to take up the slack of the chains,-

one pair of the idle sprockets n are preferably vertically adjustable bymeans of a pinion rack mechanism operated by a handwheel. (Shown in Fig.1.)

To prevent the bottles being affected by the atmosphere after they aredippedin the pasteurizing fluid of compartment 01, I provide a housing9, which incloses the first pair of sprockets 0 and the adjacentsprockets '11, said housing extending across the machine, so asto form achamber.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

l. In an apparatus of the character de, scribed, the combination with atank of an endless carrier, and bottle supports pivotally' mounted onsaid carrier, the pockets of which open toward the rear end of themachine, said supports cooperating with the necks of the.

bottles to suspend them, substantially asdescribed.

2. In an apparatus of the character de-v scribed, the combination with atank of an endless carrier, individual bottle supports carried by saidcarrier, said supports cooperating with the necks of the bottles tosuspend them,whereby each support and its suspended bottle is capable ofindependent movement, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus of the character de-- scribed, the combination with atank of an endless carrier dipping into said tank and independently-movable bottle-supports pivoted v to said endless carrier,saidbottle-supports for suspending the bottles by their necks,substantially as described.

6. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with atank of an endless carrier, comprising a pair of chains andconnecting-rods, means for driving said carrier, and bottle-supportspivotally mounted on said rods for suspending the bottles by theirnecks, the pockets in said supports opening only toward the rear end ofthe machine, substantially as described.

7. The combination with parallel chains, composed of links and spacingblocks, of pivot-rods or pintles passing through the eyes of said linksand spacing-blocks, and bottlesupports mountedon said rods or pintlesand interposed between said chains, said bottlesupports receiving thenecks of the bottles whereby said bottles are suspended and capable ofindependent movement, substantially as described.

8. The combination with parallel links and chains, com posed of linksand spacing-blocks, of pivot-rods or pintles passing through the eyes ofsaid links and spacing-blocks, and a plurality of bottle-supportsmounted on said rods or pintles, said bottle-supports being so arrangedas to assist in spacing the chains, substantially as described.

9. The combination with parallel chains composed of links andspacing-blocks, of pintles common to both chains and passing through theeyes of said links and spacingblocks, sleeves or washers on said pintlesbetween the chains, and a plurality of bottlesupports mounted on thepintles between said chains, substantially as described.

10. The combination with parallel chains, composed of links andspacing-blocks, of pivot-rods or pintles passing through the eyes ofsaid links and spacing-blocks, sleeves encircling said pintles forspacing said chains, and a plurality of bottle-supports mounted uponsaid pintles between said chains, substantially as described.

11. The combination with a tank,of sprockets arranged at each endthereof, idle sprockets arranged above the tank inpairs, some of whichidle sprockets are of larger diameter than others, an endless carrierpassing over and under said sprockets, bottle-supports pivotally mountedon said endless carrier for suspending the bottles by their necks, andpartition-wallsin the tank opposite the sprockets of larger diameter,substantially as described.

12. The combination with a tank having said rails beyond the ends of thetank, sprockets mounted along the upper edges of the tank, an endlesscarrier composed of chains and connecting-rods which cooperate with saidsprockets in such manner that the chains travel at an angle downwardlyinto and upwardly from the ends of the tank and follow a serpentinecourse or zigzag path between the ends of the tank, and bottle-carriersmounted on said connecting rods, substantially as described.

15. The combination with a tank of an endless carrier, bottle-carrierspivotally mounted on said endless carrier adapted to cooperate with thenecks ot the bottles, raiils supported above said tank extending beyondthe ends thereof, sprocket-wheelsmounted upon said rails beyond the endsof the tank, and sprocket-Wheels mounted upon the upper edges of thetank at or near its end, so that said endless carrier will,in its courseof travel,

pass at an angle downwardly into the front end of the tank and upwardlyand outwardly from the rear end of the tank, substantially as described.

16. The combination with a tank having sprockets mounted thereon, ofsprockets supported above and beyond each end of the tank, and anendless carrier passing around all of the sprockets and thereby in itscourse of travel passing downwardly at an angle into the tank at thefront end thereof and upward] y and outwardly at the rear end thereof,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto alfiX my signature, in the presence oftwo witnesses, this 22d day of June, 1899.

EDWARD WAGNER.

Witnesses:

HUGH KPWAGNER, A. S. GRAY.

